Reason Behind the Madness

And the headache begins---how does one small asian girl move all her worldly possessions from Denmark to USA?

It seems just yesterday(well actually just 10 short months ago) that I made the big leap across the pond from Chicago to Copenhagen, but now I'm leaping again from Copenhagen to San Francisco.

My zigzag journey around the world has been exciting, hectic and unpredictable. Who would have thought that going to business school in Denmark would lead me back to USA in less than a year?

A little under three months ago - I literally canceled my flight to London the day before I was flying and bought a ticket at the airport 2 hours before my flight and flew to San Francisco for Makers Faire San Mateo. I packed one suitcase and thought I was staying only 5 days. Due to the fact that I bought the ticket so last minute, I had the worst ticket possible where I had to transfer in London and then sleep a night in JFK New York Airport(scary o.o) before driving directly to Makerfaire San Mateo with suitcase in tow.

Looking back, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, now its been almost 3 months and Im still in San Francisco and have now put a deposit down on an room in the "lower Nob Hill"(aka the Tender Nob).

Hmmm but was this move so unpredicted? While at first glance- it seems like I am just randomly moving around the world, but digging a bit deeper there is logic in this madness. Denmark is a great place for entrepreneurship, especially for young companies. There is a lot of energy and the ecosystem has been really coming together and gaining momentum. There are many accelerators and office spaces that do not take equity or money from young startups, plus there are many government grants and programs available to startups. So yes, Denmark is a great place to start a business!

So why move to San Francisco? Well as a lesson learned from Kickstarter---network, Network, NETWORK! It goes without saying that the Bay Area is the epicenter of the startup/high tech industry. Where else can you find so many talented, driven and ambitious people and companies all focused on entrepreneurship and the "next big thing". The speed at which things happen here is just mind-boggling, there really are no words to explain this except that you have to live it to understand it. Since finishing up Chicago Tech Week and Makerfaire Kansas City two weeks ago, I have just been getting a preliminary glimpse of the life here in San Francisco- I am seriously learning by doing here, because almost everyone I run into is somehow involved in the tech industry, whether, they be a VC, designer, media, engineer, lawyer, etc. Startups are the norm here- I always knew that was the case, I just didn't realize what that meant until now....and I LOVE it. In two weeks here, I have experienced/learned/done more than I could imagined.

So I guess my decision was made for me- career comes first and I have to follow opportunity. A piece of my heart will always be in Scandinavia, and I know I will find a way to return to this beautiful place. But for now - San Francisco is where I need to be.

My life: Wuhan > Dallas > Baltimore > Chicago > Stockholm > Copenhagen > San Francisco.
Ok, Im ready :)

-Ran - A Nomad on the Move

A Kindred Spirit

Today is the big move day and I am up all night packing like a champ. This is my THIRD apartment in the eight short months since I have moved to Copenhagen - crazy right?!!

Anyways during one of my packing breaks - I browsed some travel blogs and stumbled across one that really resonated with me(http://www.baconismagic.ca/chile/walked-away-from-love/). Even though we are different people and have never met each other, this girl was able to put into words the emotions I felt when I moved from away Chicago - and I quote:

"This trip has been a huge sacrifice for me. I have gained so much but in exchange I had to walk away from love.

The irony of me breaking up with my boyfriend to travel is that he was the only one who never questioned why I had to go. He understood and I never needed to explain.

But because human emotions are complicated he was both proud of me for going and resented me for leaving. In return I loved him for encouraging me to go and resenting him for not insisting that I stay."

Wow just wow. Even though my previous relationship did not end because I wanted to travel-there were so many bigger and overarching reasons- the emotions I felt when I was leaving were the same as she wrote. I have found a kindred spirit. We are not so alone afterall :)

This post is for all the beautiful people in my traveling life. Its not "Goodbye", but rather "Until we meet again." Thank you for understanding me, for supporting me, for not trying to change me. Thank you for loving me for the imperfect, passionate and curious soul that I am.

-Ran- 

Kicking A$$ and Taking No Prisoners

Since I have moved to Copenhagen, life has been full of surprises both good and bad. Each day I spend here, I learn more about myself. Distanced from all the things that made me feel safe in USA, I have been forced to learn to become self-reliant here. Its been wonderful here, but its also been so hard here, so incredibly hard. The challenges just keep piling up, one after another- everything goes wrong at once. How can one small person like me handle it all. But I have no choice, do I? I either find a way to solve my problems and persevere, or I give up and this whole journey was for naught.

In USA, the old me would have let my emotions get the best of me, and become reclusive- left tasks undone. But here in Denmark, I know- when it comes down to it -I am the only one responsible for myself. If I don't take care of myself, no one will. Of course I still get sad sometimes, and my insomnia comes back with a vengeance, but unlike before where I would be overwhelmed by my sadness, now I have learned to put it aside(after a bit) and continue to get things done. 

I try my best to keep my priorities in line and invest in myself. Some people may call this cold or say I don't care, but that's exactly opposite the case. Its because I care too much about the people in my life, that I don't want them to have to take care of me. I try to live my life in a way that makes me happy, so others can share in my joy and not have to deal with catching the failing  me. Of course this is still a learning process. But after all these years, I have come to the conclusion that the only one that can make me truly happy is myself and being self-sufficient and independent is not being selfish, but rather the most real way of showing I care about the people in my life. 

Of course I am not perfect, but I like who I am now far more than the me a year ago, or two years ago. Maybe I am a bit more jaded and scarred but I have learned that life goes on. I fight for what I want, and I fight for what makes me happy. As tough as things get, I know I can find a way to make it through, as I always do. I may be one small person - but I am one damn tough person ;)  So now, its back to kicking a$$ and taking no prisoners! Stolen phone, broken computer, downgraded apartment, new challenges and new adventures - I'm not afraid, lets do this!

--Ran- The Warrior Nomad--

Friday at HIVE!

Since I have been traveling so much, its been quite some time since I have gone out in Copenhagen. So this friday night out with the girls was a treat! I can't believe I have never been to HIVE(http://www.hivecph.dk) before, but all I can say was that it was AWESOME!!! Huge place, beautiful people, killer music and free bar- what more could girl ask for?

Hope you guys are having an kickass weekend - pArTy-on! -Ranimal Ma

Pretty in Pink :)

Work hard, play hard

We clean up nice !

It's going down!

Nordic Startup Conference

Yesterday was the Nordic Startup Conference (http://startupconference.org) and this full day event attracted the best and brightest from the Nordic startup ecosystem- It was really nice to meet new faces and also catchup with the people I haven't seen in a while :)

So it was a kewl venue, great people, interesting presentations and an overall awesome time! Great to see CPH startup community growing and coming together. What an exciting time to be living in this city!

VC panel discussions

Birdseye view of pitching battle!

Beer + pizza = best idea ever!

Speaking about failure- very inspiring!

Conference Selfies :P

A big thank you to conference staff! - Job well done!

Pictionaire- startup style! :p

A Morning Text

GUESS FREAKING WHAT? Im homeless AGAIN?

Woke up to a text from my landlord that his job offer didn't work out and I need to move out by May 1. Are you kidding me?? I am so busy right now with work and I have several conference trips already prebooked for April and May. How can I manage this?? and finding an apartment in CPH is near to impossible in one month :(

Its really been such a struggle with apartment hunting here. So much time and money spent moving, packing, unpacking and searching.

Ive been living out of boxes and suitcases since I arrived here because I was never sure when I had to move again. You know I am as much a nomad as nomads come, but right now for the next three months- while we are working on our campaign- a bit of stability couldn't hurt. And guess what the irony is, I was just planning to go to IKEA this upcoming weekend to finally get some "real" furniture so I could officially finish unpacking and make my apartment feel like a HOME...

Damn, I really, really liked my current place (but I guess it was never really mine was it?) I was finally starting to feel like I belonged in Copenhagen. And now- yet again- everything is up in the air and I have to start over again.

Yes. I think might cry a bit today. Just a little bit.

Man this sucks.

-Ran

Stockholm Weekend Trip :)

So great to see my friends and old haunts again. I was surprised with a mini excursion to Malmö, Sweden a couple weeks back and a wave of nostalgia for all things Swedish washed over me. I missed Fika, Semlas and the "singsong" language- I knew I just had to go back to Stockholm for a bit - so I did!

What can you do with 48 hours in Stockholm? Apparently plenty! :p It was lovely to walk around the streets that first made me fall in love with Scandinavia a year a ago. Even though I eventually choose to settle down in Copenhagen for the time being, Stockholm will always have a special place in my heart- as my first Scandinavian love <3

New Years-CPH Style!

I am listening to:

Shirobon-"I Need You"

Online Dating Danish Style

Sometimes, a girl has just gotta do what a girl's gotta do! And today is one of those days !

Dear Danish boys, what's going on? ! Sometimes I think I see you glance at me over your cup of morning coffee, or I see you smiling awkwardly on the train, and I definently see you staring at the bar...! But I have been in Denmark for three months and I have not been on a single date(at least none that I was aware of)- nadda- zero- nothing! I am not the type of girl that sits around idly complaining about her lack of a love life- so today I have offically decided to sign up for online dating in Denmark! Why not?

Now, if you have read my blog before, you will know that I have already tested the murky waters of online dating in Stockholm, and while I was skeptical at first, I actually had a great time on most of my dates there. In theory, my online dating experience in Denmark should be better than in Stockholm because this time I have elected to try out a paid website which will hopefully filter out some of the rather "strange" messages I recieved on the unpaid Swedish website.

AND now before you eager naysayers interject, we DO live in a digital world and practically do everything online these days, so is it a stretch to think that a little Chinese/American girl could find her very own viking online ? Ha! ...I guess we will have to wait and find out...


- ! :P - Ran-

Stockholm 2.0

I just got back from the Nordic Life Science Days conference in Stockholm, and apparently I am now a "Nordic Young Life Science Entrepreneur"! Wow...so I have been in Copenhagen for 2 months now and my life continues to be crazy. I have been traveling, studying for finals, living with out a bathroom door, trying to track down my boxes that never arrived from Chicago...and OH did I mention I am working on a startup?


....to be continued ...

An Overdue Update

I am officially nearing the one month mark for my stay in beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark and I know I have been getting slower and slower with my posts. However, this is not because I have nothing to write about but rather I have been doing too many things and not sleeping enough to put finger to keyboard! But now after much needed peaceful Friday night's rest, I think I have finally recuperated my strength...

Soooo what have I been doing?

I had a friend visiting from Chicago last week and we enjoyed a wonderful Autumn Moon Festival dinner with some new Chinese friends. We went on a crazy pub-crawl with my classmates(Danes sure know how to party!) and then had a very cozy(maximum hyggliet) International Potluck Dinner with my program.

And on top of that, I along with two fantastic co-hosts organized a "Networking and Pitching Workshop" for our program with guest speakers Michael Bak, Troels Kranker and Aleksander Borkvik! A really interactive and informative event and I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone involved ! Greeeeeeat Success! :D

So I guess in short, this month has been a whirlwind! I have so many projects/readings/papers due for school, my little asian brain just can't seem keep them straight. Additionally I will be attending the Biopeople Nordic Science Days Conference in Stockholm(yay back to Sweden!) in three weeks and I am a bit intimadated as I will be the only student(non-company) person there. But....everyone has to start somewhere right? I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I will try my best! I am sure I will gain some valuable insight and feedback on my entrepreneurship idea.

Now my clock is flashing 10:00am, I think its high time for a quick coffee run(I seriously need to buy an Nespresso machin..) with my favorite little papillon sidekick. The sun is out and the it is looking like a perfect Autumn day in Copenhagen.....I have a million and one things to do so it's time to get started! <3

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! - Ran

Renior being extra stinky

After the rainstorm: View from my balcony

To Matt: This is not "Goodbye", but rather "See you next time..."

I am listening to:

Bedroom Lullaby - "Kisses in the Rain"

Guided by Danes: A walking tour of Copenhagen

--coming --soon

Finally, a fitting end to my Danish housing saga!

Finding housing in Copenhagen, where do I begin?

Yes, it is competitive!
Yes, it is time consuming!
Yes, there are a lot of rules!
Yes, it is much harder for expats!
And of course it is expensive!!!

But if you don't give up, think outside the box and with a bit of luck, I believe everyone can eventually find a place in this city!

So, how exactly did I find my place? Well, if you read my previous blog posts, you know I tried everything I could think of- even paying a hefty subscription to several Danish apartment hunting sites and staying up all hours of the night prowling online listings. However in the end, my Danish apartment lead actually came from the most unlikely of sources...

Back during my final month in Stockholm this winter, I was getting a bit restless so I embarked on an excursion to Lund and Copenhagen via Couchsurfing. I had such a fantastic time with my amazing and musically gifted CS hosts in Copenhagen that I decided I had to repay the CS community in kind. So upon my return to Stockholm, I hosted two sets of CSers during my final week in the city. The schedule was tight, and my apartment was cramped but we made memories and friendships for a lifetime! However, little did I realize, just how pivotal this experience was going to be...

As it turned out one my Couchsurfers actually lived in CPH and when he heard I was moving to town and was struggling to find a place, he generously connected me with one of his friends who just happened to have a fully furnished apartment available. So, long story short, I am now the happy tenant of a comfortable, dog-friendly, and affordable apartment in Østerbro! Not bad, eh?



The takeaway message for the day? The Couchsurfing community is truly amazing and...all hail KARMA!

"Hygge"-licious! A place to call my own in Copenhagen :)

--Ran--

I am listening to:
Cloud-Shake the Ground(Nordic Lounge)

"Hej!" from København!

Im here! Im here! I, along with my luggage and my dog are all safely in beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark! My friends have been anxiously asking, "Well Ran, what is life in Copenhagen like?" Sadly, I am afraid I cannot yet accurately answer this question because my life has pretty much been a nonstop whirlwind since I arrived. After two full days of orientation at Copenhagen Business School, crippling jet lag and going the wrong direction on the train ..(or is it called a metro here?), I have barely had time to sleep, not to mention think. I also need to figure out where to get my CPR(personal identification number), because without it, I pretty much don't exist in Denmark. So after I get a bit more settled in, I will post more in depth about this wonderful city, but in the meantime I will offer some of my first impressions:

Bicycles are everywhere! - Even though I most nearly got run over a couple times by fast-pedaling yet deadly silent cyclists, I must admit it is very refreshing and frankly damn cool that this city is so green! Back home in Chicago, publicly available rental bikes were only just recently added to the city over the summer, and while this is a step in the right direction, there are not enough bike lanes and safety is a very real concern(cyclists are required by law to wear helments). Apparently Chicago is making an effort to learn from the bike culture of Copenhagen:

http://chi.streetsblog.org/2013/08/12/how-does-chicago-infrastructure-compare-to-copenhagen/

http://chi.streetsblog.org/2013/04/08/elevating-the-conversation-raised-bike-lanes-are-coming-to-chicago/

I wonder if there are bike riding schools in Copenhagen because even though I am Chinese, I am ashamed to admit that I cannot ride a bike... :(

Everything is expensive! - Well I think this title pretty much says it all. I mean I just bought a THREE DOLLAR coke the other day! Yikes! And all the electronics, i.e. iphones, macbooks are 1/3 more in price and I have been told that cars are 150% the price of cars in USA. Wow, no wonder there are so many bikes in Copenhagen!

More international than Stockholm! - Even though I have been in Copenhagen for less than a week, just in these short couple of days I can already sense a very international vibe. My class is only 50% Danish, with the rest hailing from all over the world. In the bars, on the train and on the streets- I have definitely encountered my far share of foreigners in Copenhagen, much more than I ever did in Stockholm. I was pretty much the only asian person (other than a few adopted Koreans who were completely Swedified) that I saw out in Stockholm. This international feel in Copenhagen is amazing and I know there will be much for me to learn from this very diverse point of view!

BioBusiness and Innovation Platform

2nd Year Full Degree Students

-A Cycling Challenged Nomad -Ran

I am listening to:

Malk de Koijn-Braget

How to move everything you own and...one little papillon to Denmark

So the time for my move to Denmark has finally come and while I started my apartment search three months in advance, I, for some unknown reason decided to leave the issue of finding movers until my very last week. Urgh! Why?!

Oh man, I f*cked up, f*cked up real bad this time. Not only did I underestimate how MUCH its going to cost to move, I also sorely miscalculated how LONG it is going to take to ship my items to Copenhagen.

I contacted three moving companies, Laser International, Allied and last but not least, UPackWeShip. Each company had its own distinct pros and cons. Allied($3000) was the most expensive and a complete moving service while UPackWeShip($1500) was the cheapest but required the owner to self pack everything and deliver the boxes to the shipping terminal. If the price wasn't bad enough, even with the fastest company-Allied, my boxes would not arrive in Copenhagen for at least TWO MONTHS!!! ah! Everyone knows that I am not the kind of girl who can bear to be separated from her precious clothes and SHOES for such a long time :(. To say the least, I was heartbroken.

After a near melt down and some furious googling, I finally found an unlikely solution. My flight to CPH was through SAS and according to their luggage rules, a passenger is allowed to take up to 5 checked lugguage at 50 lbs each. The first piece is free and each additional is $135. So I decided to bite the bullet and just lug my stuff to Denmark myself. So I single handedly brought 1 carryon, 1 overpacked backpack, 5 huge boxes and...one little papillon from Chicago to Copenhagen?! Whew! and did I mention my apartment in CPH is on the fourth floor and does not have an elevator!? So, yup, I guess I'm pretty much a badass ninja of moving since all this cost me only $665($540 for the boxes and $125 for my dog).

Even though I am beyond exhausted now, everything was worth it because all most of my beloved clothes are safe and sound next to me....well that is except for the 8 additional boxes coming in 2 weeks... :D

-A Nomad and Possible Hoarder -Ran

My trusty little travel companion

1/4 of my beautiful shoe collection-Must bring them all!

I am listening to:
"I Don't Know What I'm Doing" - Brad Sucks

20 Days

While most of me is ecstatic and looking forward to having the experience of a lifetime in Copenhagen, why is it that I can't quite seem to quiet a small but growing voice inside of me that is afraid?

Afraid of the unknown.
Afraid of failing.
Afraid of being far from all the things, and more importantly the people that I love in America.

Feeling lonely is not  a foreign concept to me. Seems like I have felt disconnected from my family and alone for the greater part of my life.  I grew up in USA, far from my extended family in China. When I was 12, my father move back to Wuhan for work and he was shortly joined by my mom when I started college at 18. So, I guess I already know all to well the emptiness one feels when loved ones are far away.

Yet here I am, 26 going on 27, about to make the biggest move of my life. Do I have what it takes as a young(am I still young?), single girl to move to a foreign country where I barely know anyone and flourish there?

Well, whether I am ready or not, its going to happen...in 20 days.

-Ran

ps.
This great international move of mine has been beyond stressful, but the hardest part by far, (even more difficult that finding an apartment in Copenhagen) is saying goodbye to the people I love. I think the only way I will make it through this is if I remember that this not "goodbye", but rather "see you later"....

I'm listening to:
"Love Rhino"- Sunny Levine

Why I am awake at 2:53 am...

Sure, I would love to be curled up, warm in my bed right now, but thanks to a 7 hour time difference I am instead pounding back a steaming cup of joe and feverishly trolling Danish rental sites for new listings. I am frustrated, exhausted and on the verge of a caffeine overdose.

So, what is all this painstaking effort for?
I am but a simple girl and I would be more than happy in a studio or a humble one bedroom. I lack bicycling skills, so I would prefer the apartment to be somewhat close to Copenhagen Business School. I think these are very reasonable requests. Yet, I have tried everything from Couchsurfing forums, expat blogs and Facebook groups to subscription online listings and apartment company websites, all to no avail. If the dark bags swelling under my eyes are any indication of my effort, then I can safely assure you that I have been trying my damn hardest. So far, my email inquiries have been met with either the all too familiar "apartment is already reserved" message or... a cold unnerving silence. When I called into apartment companies, I was told that there was a 100+ person waiting list for current listings, and nothing new is available until November. Oh and the kicker - company policy mandates that rentals are for professionals only, NO STUDENTS ALLOWED. When I pushed the the agent to elaborate on their policy, she explained that the landlords in their company view student tenants(even graduate students) as liabilities since they are often "unreliable with rent" and "irresponsible with the apartment".

WTF??! When did students become second class citizens and marginalized to derogatory stereotypes? I am having trouble reconciling this discrimination against students with my perception of Denmark as a country known for its politically correct rationale. Why do the naysayers fail to consider the fact that if a student is paying a full year's tuition up front, then they are more likely than not to be financially stable. Additionally, in order to succeed in school and gain entrance into a graduate program, graduate students are by default, responsible!

Why is it that a smart, capable gal like me, with a more than generous budget can't seem to catch a break when it comes to finding a place in Copenhagen?! To be fair, it seems that I am not the only one in this rapidly sinking boat, because everywhere I look there are post after post from desperate people(mostly students) looking from rentals in CPH. Hell, I even stumbled upon a Facebook post by a Danish TV reporter seeking students for a segment about the daunting challenge of finding a place in CPH. And I would like it to be noted that in less than half a day there were over 80 comments!

Sigh, my journey to Copenhagen has not even begun and I am already feeling defeated. As a lowly graduate student I guess I might just have to settle for a sturdy box under a bridge...

-R-

Final Month in Chicago

p.s.
During my two previous forays into Copenhagen I fell in love with the architecture, the food(oh the hotdogs!) and most of all the people. I met some truly upstanding characters in my brief stay, and it was precisely because of this refreshing open-mindedness that I chose Denmark over Sweden as the place to continue my studies. Therefor, I sincerely hope my negative house hunting experience is just a small blip in an otherwise auspicious beginning and...not a foreboding forecast of things to come.

Denmark Countdown: One Month

Wow I cant believe it! Only one short month until I'm off to Denmark to embark on my year long study at Copenhagen Business School!

Excited, Nervous...and a bit frazzled, I've been trying to get everything done in time, but I have learned from experience that international travel is never mishap free and an international move is even more stressful. Lucky for me, it seems to be smooth sailing so far. With one more month to go, I am pretty much on point with the tasks I need to accomplish before departure from USA and my previous stay in Stockholm has definitely provided me with valuable insight on what to expect upon my arrival in Copenhagen. However one thing, actually quite a big thing has been starting to give me a headache. I have been apartment searching for over two months now and very aggressively searching for the past month...but still nothing! I've tried a variety of Danish websites and even paid a hefty subscription fee, but the only responses I have received were stock messages informing me that the apartment(which listed a mere 5 seconds ago) has already been reserved! How is that even possible?! Do Danes have magical Danish fingers that can somehow type and click twice as fast as mine?!

While my Swedish apartment search was frustrating and full of twists and turns, with the help of my Swedish friend, I was able to secure a beautiful apartment in Stockholm two full months before my arrival. So, then what am I doing wrong in my Danish apartment search?

Should I be reposting my ad in English? Is it because I have not included a picture of myself? Do the owners not want to rent to expats? All these questions with no answers, I can only speculate...

My budget is reasonable and I'm not a (complete) weirdo, so I really hope someone will give me a chance!

Please, please, please, travel gods answer my prayers for a beautiful apartment in downtown Copenhagen! :D

-Ran

Renior Ma, my little card shark!

I am listening to:

James Yuill- "No Surprise"

Impossible is Nothing: Apartment Hunting in Copenhagen

So now that I know I will be living in Copenhagen, Denmark for the next year, I have started in earnest the long and grueling process of apartment hunting. From my previous experience apartment hunting in Stockholm, I know that this process is NOT going to be easy and apartments in the city center are definitely NOT cheap! I was very lucky during my Stockholm apartment search in the fact that I had a "sweet" Swedish friend in Chicago who aided me greatly in my search. After I nearly fell for several scams on Swedish Craigslist, my friend helped me compose an apartment want ad in Swedish and we posted it on Blocket.se. Consequently, I was lucky to find an amazing apartment in central Stockholm, just 15 minutes via the tube to my work! However... I am not sure I will be quite as lucky this time in my Copenhagen apartment search :(

I have several things working against me this time:
1. Time- For Stockholm, I started my search 3 months in advance, while this time I only have 2 months total to find a suitable apartment, obtain a residence permit and pack and ship my belongings(and I have a massive amount of belongings, aka clothes...), and adjust to living in Denmark before school starts.
2. Budget- I am working with a smaller budget this time. In Stockholm I paid 1200 USD/month for an one bedroom apartment and this time, I am working with a smaller budget of 1000 USD. I am not sure that is enough for a furnished one bedroom or studio in central CPH.
3. Everything Danish- Sadly, I don't have any Danish friends living in Chicago, and my Danish language skills are all but non-existent. Additionally, while Stockholms neighborhoods were very distinct because each one was located on a separate island, I am still struggling to understand the unique dynamic of the various neighborhoods of Copenhagen.

My search this time will be further compounded by the fact that I do not know how to ride a bike... and this seems to be a major mode of transportation in Copenhagen. I know what you are thinking, how can I be Chinese and not know how to ride a bike?!(lowers head in shame) But in all seriousness, I am really not sure if I should be living near the tube stop? the bus stop? or .uh..a bike shop!? Also, I want to make sure I focus on the right neighborhoods. Last time in Stockholm, while both my apartment and neighborhood were beautiful, I unwittingly ended up in a very wealthy and very "old" part of Stockholm, and by old, I am not referring to the architecture, but rather to the fact that I was a good half century younger than the majority of my neighbors! So, this time in Copenhagen I would really like to live somewhere young and...dare I say hip!? :D

My apartment hunt has just begun and I already feel like I have gotten myself in over my head. I guess it doesn't help that I keep trolling Danish apartment hunting forums and reading horror stories of scams and fruitless apartment searches(yikes!). So dear friends and readers, any CPH neighborhood advice, transportation knowledge, and magical apartment hunting secrets will be deeply appreciated...anything to help a nomad like me to find an affordable, convenient and fun place to settle down (for a year)!

-Ran- the homeless

København-Can I afford to live here?

I am listening to:

"In Search of"-Mike Snow

**Thank you everyone for the support, here is a growing list of websites that have been recommended to me for apartments in CPH:

http://www.dba.dk/boliger/lejebolig/vaerelser/reg-koebenhavn/

http://www.boligportal.dk/en/

http://erasmusu.com/en/erasmus-copenhagen/student-housing

The Wait is Over: Ready to Leap!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shocked, Ecstatic, Thankful, Overwhelmed... I am not sure there are enough words in the English vocabulary to describe how I feel right now! After months of nerve racking waiting and several curveballs along the way, I finally heard back from both Copenhagen Business School and Stockholm School of Economics.

I am extremely grateful and lucky that I was able to gain entrance into two such prestigious schools in Scandinavia. I have spent many a sleepless night mulling over which offer to accept and it is not a decision I take lightly for it will be sizable investment, both financially and time-wise. Each school has its distinct advantages and both choices will spell major change in my life, but at the end of the day, a very complicated question turned out to have a simple answer: I am going with my gut...

So yes, my friends it is official, I will be moving to beautiful Denmark come fall!

This journey has not been a easy one, because even though I was confident that I was qualifed for the program, I, being a clumsy blundering American, was thoroughly confused by the Danish application system. With that being said, I want to thank my amazing friends and family who have been so supportive the last couple months. Recently, I have made a rapid succession of life-changing decisions and I really truly appreciate the people in my life who seem to possess an unwavering belief in my ability to triumph. Thank you for giving me your strength, especially during the difficult times when I could not help but question myself.

Leap of Faith-Copenhagen, Denmark

This past year has been a year filled with challenging changes but also great adventures, and I am sure there will only be more surprises to come as I continue on my journey to find where I fit in this big world of ours! And while I know I have a lot of questions and loose ends to tie up this summer, I think for today, I will breath easy and...smile. :)

-Ran

I am listening to:
"The Underdog"- Spoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1hZVDLkJDc